As episode No. 7 of “The Ultimate Fighter 16″ opens, Team Nelson is back in control of the fight selection. Once again, rather than have any strategic meetings toward picking the bout, coach Roy Nelson decides the easiest way to choose who fights is by picking a number between one and 20. Dom Waters picks closest, so he’s up next.

Dom asks if there’s an opponent Roy wants him to face, but the coach lets him know it’s all his decision. Since Roy has no recommendation, Dom decides to pass on his chance to fight. With the team’s top selection declining to compete, that means No. 2 pick Michael Hill is up next for Team Nelson.

We move quickly on to fight selection, and Michael picks Team Carwin’s Matt Secor as his opponent. It’s a bit of a grudge match from the drama that’s been taking place in the house. Matt’s coach Shane Carwin admits they were actually anticipating the same matchup since tensions between the two have been high.

At Team Nelson practice, “The Ultimate Fighter 1″ winner Forrest Griffin stops by as a guest coach. It’s all about conditioning and grinding with Forrest in charge, and Team Nelson’s Cameron Diffley, Forrest’s longtime jiu-jitsu coach, admits he appreciates the friendly perspective and fresh look. Forrest also works directly with Michael to prep for his fight.

Meanwhile, Matt details his history in the military, as well as the history of his brother’s time in the forces before losing his life defending the country. Matt is a decorated grappler who feels comfortable on the floor, so the gameplan is obvious. It’s an old-school matchup: striker vs. grappler.

Back at the house, Matt reveals that his father recently died, as well. It’s a painful memory for Matt and one that still haunts him. The anger is obvious, and Matt admits he would give up his entire life for the opportunity to see his dad just one last time. In fact, the cross Matt wears in the house actually contains some of his father’s ashes, and the fighter says he’s not afraid of anything that can happen in a cage because he knows his dad is watching out for him.

Meanwhile, Michael believes he’s simply a fighter at heart. He’s a lion, and Matt is just a barking dog that needs to be addressed. Both seem a little angry, though the emotion comes from a decidedly different place. Michael is ready to teach someone a lesson. Matt offers no respect for his opponent’s power and insists he’s got a heart that cannot be matched.

TEAM NELSON’S MICHAEL HILL (4-0) VS. TEAM CARWIN’S MATT SECOR (1-1)

Round 1 – Referee Josh Rosenthal oversees the fight. The taller Michael takes the center early as Matt slowly circles to his opponent’s power right on the outside. Michael strikes cautiously from range to start. Roy is calling for jabs and inside low kicks, but Michael is a little hesitant to let it go. Matt lands a low kick, and Michael presses in. That’s just fine for Matt, who willingly falls to his back and looks to work from guard. Michael’s team yells for him to back away, but he stays in tight on his opponent. Short punches are traded from both fighters, but it’s relatively little action. Rosenthal lets the fighters work, and bot are doing probably just enough to stay on the floor. Michael eventually looks for a pass, but Matt blocks it, and the action stays there until the final 15 seconds. It’s not the most exciting round, but Michael was obviously on top for most of it.

Round 2 – Michael again looks to strike from the outside and use his range. Matt switches to southpaw and looks to close the gap. He shoots from range, and Michael easily sprawls, but Michael still manages to bait him into guard. Michael doesn’t stay there and elects to switch out to his knees and control from a headlock. When he lets go, Matt drives in and scores a takedown. This time, he’s in top position, and Michael’s head is against the cage. Michael turns to his knees, and Matt immediately looks to take the back. Michael tries to use the cage to trap the pass, but his opponent finds the space and gets the position. Matt starts to look for the choke. Michael defends well, but it’s just halfway through the round, and Matt has plenty of time to work. Matt has hooks comfortably in and is looking for the choke. Michael continues to defend well. Michael nose is bleeding, and Matt has a figure-four around the waist. Still, the clock is running. Matt works in short punches to the head in the final minute, but he can’t find the finish. This fight should be heading to a third.

Round 3 – Judges agree with MMAjunkie.com, and this fight heads into a sudden victory frame. Both fighters have clearly earned one round, so it’s all about who dominates the style matchup. When they do engage in a scramble, it’s Michael who winds up on top. So far, that position has been telling. Matt does get his leg on the shoulder, but Michael feels it and backs away. On the restart, Matt shoots from distance and scores the takedown. Michael’s team immediately calls for him to return to the feet. But Matt is tight, and he’s comfortable grinding. He pushes down, and when Michael tries to turn to create space, Matt is immediately latched onto his back. Two minutes remain, and Matt is in a dominant position. Figure-four locks the body again. Roy tries to walk his fighter through an escape plan. Step by step, he walks Michael into a better position, but he can’t get fully free. There’s a scramble in the final minute, but Matt re-establishes his position and appears to cruise to the win. It’s not exactly dazzling, but it seems to be effective for Matt, nonetheless. Somehow, only one judge agrees, and Michael is awarded a split-decision win.
Michael Hill def. Matt Secor via split decision.

UFC President Dana White is not happy with the action, especially in the opening round. There is no sense of urgency at all, and the decision seems extremely suspect. Dana believes the commission has made a grave error and someone must be held accountable. Even Michael seems a little surprised, though he’s happy to have won. Matt’s team knows he probably could have done more, but everyone seems to think he won the fight anyway.

With the win, Team Nelson ties up the series 3-3 in the round-of-16 fights and has control of the selection with two bouts remaining in the series. They’ll get control of making the final two fights heading into the quarterfinals.

Catch new episodes of “The Ultimate Fighter 16: Team Carwin vs. Team Nelson” every Friday at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT on FX. MMAjunkie.com recaps each episode of the reality series, and full series coverage can be found on The Ultimate Fighter 16 page.

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